Monday, April 17, 2006

The Telus Ski & Snowboard Festival is upon us! Several usual events will take place including skier & rider super pipe and big air. One new event that took place this weekend at the top of the Emerald chair on Whistler was The Stompede. The Stompede challenged skiers & riders to put on a slopetsyle type run thru hits & rails condensed into one area. 

Who took the crowns? Kaya Turski again took first place in the women's ski category and Mike Henitiuk won the men's. For riders, Star of Peace Quinn was crowned winner of the women's snowboard Stompede, and Craig Beaulieau, landed in first in the men's snowboard finals.

For a behind the scenes of what went into building the Stompede...


Snow cats prep the Stompede event site.

Park Lead Hand Anto Orts and Park groomer Keith Zajac were building the features for Stompede & the park rangers helped out with final shaping. Local & Atomic rider Dennis Bannock provided input for the course design which Anto & Keith were creating. Everything you can imagine was on the Stompede course including a huge channel gap with a box suspended over it, vertical log jib and multi face cowboy hat table top.


Park Ranger Loreti shapes the vertical log jib 

There's plenty more action coming later this week. For more info on the Festival running until April 23, check out www.wssf.com or http://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/twssf.   

Keith steps out of the cat to inspect suspended box 

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Published by whistlerblackcomb: 7:44 PM Updated On: 4/17/2006 at 7:49 PM

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Rider on Westbeach Kink.

Sorry it took us a while to get this one up, stay tuned for another update coming really soon....

The B parks team have been busy creating a totally unique skate bowl style snow feature just above the HighestLevelPark entrance. The Park Rangers have hand shoveled a multi line bowl with kickers, garbage can lid, rail & maze gate features. The dsrop in is from the back of the hip and the Parks crew are expanding the bowl from 2 – 4 bowls that will flow right past the back of the HL Park entrance building. Skiers and riders have been having a blast trying to get multi hits in the mini bowl.


Pointing out mini bowl.

Kevin Sansalone and the Sandbox film crew had a big session on this unique set up for the upcoming release. The parks crew only ask if you hit it up, help fix it up &  the team work has been going really well. Pro skiers Callum & Sean Petit were also riding the bowl for hours as it is much easier for them being juniors and riding on  shorter skis! The Highest Level table tops are riding well & the Westbeach battleship kink is also now up & open to jib. Blackcopmb closes on April 23 so get up & enjoy some of the best Parks in the world. The World Ski & Snowboard Festival is coming up soon with the Stompede rail jam on W, super pipe on Blackcomb & the night time big air in the village. Check out the best skiers & riders in action April 15 – 22. For more info check out www.wssf.com.

Tim Rail Grind 

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Published by whistlerblackcomb: 12:06 PM

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

Dave on double rail.

Last week the Whistler Parks team was busy working on some new hits & set ups. The step up jump under the emerald chair is riding well and leads riders into the S – M park. The Parks team will be building a smaller version o fteh step up next to this hit & move the easy box down hill for better flow. Two rails have been joined to make a technical ride in the M – L section of the Habitat park. The tables are flowing nicely and into a series of jibs and the step down box. Rail and jump set ups continue to evolve weekly in the WhistlerHabitatPark, come join the fun!

Loreti on step-up.


Suitcase air. 

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Tags:snowboard, park & pipe Published by whistlerblackcomb: 6:05 PM